Danish campaign: Lands to Conquer

[Askthepizzaguy]

It seems as though the experienced members of the forum are aware of diplomacy tactics.

Well done!

Hopefully this thread will at least offer encouragement to newcomers.
Fortunately I do not think so highly of myself to think that my tactics are unique or novel, merely executed well.



Losses due to desertion?

While it wouldn't have been much of a factor anyway, given the ability to recruit mercenaries so readily and my massive florin count, you can avoid ALL loss to desertion during the beginning of crusades.

Just leave the crusade, and then join it. Can't do it after the time limit expires... but for ten turns or so, it's an easy way to march your endless crusader horde in any direction.

Even in Lands To Conquer, this loophole hasn't been plugged.

Oops!

Unfairness alert! Unfairness alert!

I'm not playing fairly. So long as I don't hack the game files, the purpose of this particular campaign is to showcase how you can easily roll up the computer, using all available legal tactics.

If one can cause entire empires to rebel with spies (unrealistic) and trade half of their empire for a pittance of florins (unrealistic) then surely I can march my armies in a given direction.

I think we're past that point of trying to make it fair for the AI. This one's about demolishing them quickly and as brutally as possible. Establishing an upper limit to how strongly you can possibly play without actually hacking the game or using cheat codes.

If anyone is that ambitious, I wouldn't mind seeing others in action, brutalizing all opposing factions as quickly as possible. I warn you, these threads take a LOT of effort to design and post.

[Lusted]

Very interesting askthepizzaguy, i woul really love to see you redo this once i get out the next version of Lands to Conquer as i've improved campaign AI and diplomacy somewhat since the version you're playing(eg. 2 major revisions to both). Though it is for Kingdoms so you would need to buy it in order to play the next version whenever i get it out, should be soon as i'm very happy with the new campaign AI and diplomacy.

[Dragunija]

Wow,that's nice blitz campaign.Continue please.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Wow,that's nice blitz campaign.Continue please.

Very well. Even if it's just for you and phonicsmonkey to enjoy.

[Lusted]

Well the fix to AI giving cities easily will be in the next version of LTC, the current one does have better campaign AI though which will defend better, and attack more with more built up armies.

Oh, and i've reduced the amount you get from sacking/exterminating.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Well the fix to AI giving cities easily will be in the next version of LTC, the current one does have better campaign AI though which will defend better, and attack more with more built up armies.

Oh, and i've reduced the amount you get from sacking/exterminating.

Amazingly Lusted, I did not begin sacking until after I did my massive betrayal.

This particular blitz campaign did not require any sacking florins or exterminations to come about.
I preferred to maintain my "trustworthy" reputation, which is impossible if you sack everything. Even rebels.

But thank you, the sacking exploit is also well documented by me, and closing that path to victory ensures a harder time for would-be-conquerors.

I would prefer, alternatively, that we beef up the Ai's ability to recruit and build up their cities, and field better, more competent armies.

I would prefer it if we left the rewards for sacking alone, because indeed it is realistic to cripple the opponent's economy and beef up your own when you sack. The Vikings lived off of pillaging. It should be so with this game.

But make it harder to do so. Make the enemy put up a better fight.
My two cents.

[Askthepizzaguy]

To whom it may concern...

you can get approximately 1500 florins from your rivals (if their treasury is meager or better) for selling promises to attack a single faction. I have managed to get up to 2500 if their treasury is massive.

You may need to reduce it to 1000 or even 800 if they are meager or bankrupt. And you cannot be demanding or have just offered them a deal they declined because they werent interested, or else they close negotiations.

The computer will always accept a better deal than they offer you. Negotiate until you find the right balance between greedy and super-greedy.

Get weak, do-nothing (in the early game) provinces and sell them to your rivals for as many florins UP FRONT as they are willing to pay.

Turn the tide in your favor and do not let them ever have the ability to use even that weak province against you. Usually it should be one that is useless to you, unprofitable, and far from your core provinces, and even better, easy to sack again soon through betrayal.

Also, sell to a faction you are at war with. Sack it right back with the troops you had garrisoning it, if possible. Remember, your reputation takes a hit.

This is for after you've abandoned such concepts as reputation.

PS Lusted, if you do end up giving the AI factions more money, tell them to spend it. Otherwise I will negotiate and give them something useless for it, and I will use that as an additional income source. Unless you go as far as to break diplomacy by making it unreasonable on very hard/very hard (which is an option, but keep it in the realm of reality for hard/hard).

[Privateerkev]

Very well. Even if it's just for you and phonicsmonkey to enjoy.

Nah, I'm sure there was more than that watching.

I enjoyed the Borg story by the way. Next-gen was always my favorite of the Star Treks...

[TheLastPrivate]

Quick question: You may have answered this already but how many field battles do you fight it out and how many are AR'ed?

Is your decision it based on the odds or your army composition?

I mean, it usually seems to me that unless its a siege battle playing the battle will often give less casualties and capture more prisoners, althogh it can be time consuming...

[Dragunija]

Yeah,that's why i always play out every battle there is.It's really time consuming,but c'mon,point of game is to have fun! (And satification (Spelling?) on crushing Scotland/France/England/HRE/Egypt of RTW (Most annoying thing EVAR!)/RTW factions/Your most hated faction.

OH,and i nominate you King of Blitz Borgs of the year.

Dragunija

[Paradox]

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! I couldn't have improved on this if I spent a whole week! I was hooked to this thread from the moment you claimed that this campaign was yours, my reaction, "yeah right he's crazy". LOL.

Thank you for the guide, you have inspired me to play as the Danes.

Also, can you tell me how many 'crosses' you have from "his holey-moley-ness?" Because I've been threatened with excommunication several times against reconciled factions, but I tend to avoid them, after that the only thing that happens is "displeasure of the pope", which is far from excommunication.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Very interesting askthepizzaguy, i woul really love to see you redo this once i get out the next version of Lands to Conquer as i've improved campaign AI and diplomacy somewhat since the version you're playing(eg. 2 major revisions to both). Though it is for Kingdoms so you would need to buy it in order to play the next version whenever i get it out, should be soon as i'm very happy with the new campaign AI and diplomacy.

Strictly speaking it will most likely be impossible to do this (as I have done it, that is) once you fix the game.

This banks entirely on the diplomacy exploit.

I was able to acquire in the neighborhood of 80000 florins or more total from the AI. If you can't roll up the map with that much cash, and 3 additional starting provinces, you're a shameful player.

Honestly, the game is much harder if you avoid exploiting the game loopholes.

This is merely to showcase what is possible on the version I am using, which very well may be the first version of LTC or perhaps one upgrade thereof.
And also to show newbies what aggression, rather than slow turtling, can accomplish.

More likely I will download the final upgrade to vanilla and play with that, then go get kingdoms.

Sorry guys, I like to savor these games! I was barely talked into LTC to begin with, now I'm savoring it until I am ready to try the next version.